LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

Horseback riding therapy for a deafblind individual enabled by a haptic interface

Photo by finnnyc from unsplash

ABSTRACT We present a haptic interface to help deafblind people to practice horseback riding as a recreational and therapeutic activity. Horseback riding is a form of therapy which can improve… Click to show full abstract

ABSTRACT We present a haptic interface to help deafblind people to practice horseback riding as a recreational and therapeutic activity. Horseback riding is a form of therapy which can improve self-esteem and sensation of independence. It has been shown to benefit people with various medical conditions—including autism. However, in the case of deafblind riders, an interpreter must stand by at all times to communicate with the rider by touch. We developed a simple interface that enables deafblind people to enjoy horseback riding while the instructor is remotely providing cues, which improves their independence. Experiments demonstrated that an autistic deafblind individual exhibits similar responses to navigational cues as an unimpaired rider. Motivation is an important factor in therapy, and is frequently determinant of its outcome; therefore, the user attitude toward the therapy methods is key. The answers to questionnaires filled by the rider, family, and the instructor show that our technique gives the rider a greater sense of independence and more joy compared to standard riding where the instructor is walking along with the horse.

Keywords: therapy; deafblind; haptic interface; horseback riding

Journal Title: Assistive Technology
Year Published: 2018

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.